ESPN Ranks Tennessee Behind Kentucky, Virginia in Best Tournament Teams Remaining The NCAA Tournament has narrowed to 32 teams after a busy weekend of games, with the field cut in half following Thursday and Friday’s matchups. Now, teams will compete on Saturday and Sunday for a spot in the Sweet 16, set for next weekend. Tennessee advanced with a dominant performance on Friday night, defeating 11-seed Miami (OH) in Philadelphia. The Vols’ victory was led by Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who scored 29 points and added nine assists, while forward JP Estrella contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds. Star freshman Nate Ament, however, was limited by an injury sustained late in the regular season. ESPN analyst Myron Medcalf ranked the remaining 32 teams on Saturday morning, placing Tennessee 21st in the field. Medcalf noted that despite Ament’s absence, the Vols’ offense remained strong, with Gillespie continuing to drive the team. He highlighted Tennessee’s status as the top offensive rebounding team in the nation and praised their defensive consistency, which has ranked in the top 10 over the past six weeks. Medcalf also acknowledged a recent 2-4 stretch before the tournament but emphasized that the Vols’ strengths could carry them to the second weekend. Teams ranked above Tennessee in Medcalf’s list all carry higher tournament seeds, with one exception: 7-seed Kentucky. The Wildcats, who needed overtime to defeat 10-seed Santa Clara, were ranked 20th. Both Kentucky and Tennessee are one upset win away from meeting in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year. A potential matchup would mark their second straight postseason clash, following their previous Sweet 16 encounter last year, where Tennessee advanced to the Elite Eight. Virginia, the 3-seed team Tennessee will face on Sunday, is also ranked above the Vols.#espn #tennessee #kentucky #virginia #myron_medcalf
Virginia edges Arizona State in NCAA tournament First Four Kymora Johnson scored 17 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 30.6 seconds remaining, as Virginia defeated Arizona State 57-55 in the NCAA tournament First Four on Thursday night. The Cavaliers, seeded 10th, advanced to face seventh-seeded Georgia in the next round, marking their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2018 under head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton. Johnson’s clutch 3-pointer, Virginia’s first of the second half in 10 attempts, gave the Cavaliers a 54-51 lead. With 5.3 seconds left, Johnson added a free throw to seal the victory. Arizona State’s Jyah LoVett lost control of the ball in the paint as the clock expired, ending the game. Johnson also recorded 10 rebounds for her ninth career double-double. Caitlin Weimar contributed 11 points off the bench, and Romi Levy added 10. Arizona State, seeded 10th, saw Marley Washenitz score 19 points on five 3-pointers, while McKinna Brackens and Heloisa Carrera each tallied 10 points. Gabby Elliott, Arizona State’s leading scorer, made just three of 13 field goals, finishing with 11 points and nine rebounds. The Sun Devils, making their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2019, were coached by first-year head coach Molly Miller. The game saw Arizona State trail by as many as 10 points in the second half before rallying. Elliott’s jumper cut the deficit to 48-46 with 3:18 remaining, but Virginia’s defense held firm. The loss ended Arizona State’s season, while Virginia advanced to the next round, continuing its resurgence under Agugua-Hamilton.#virginia #arizona_state #kymora_johnson #amaka_agugua_hamilton #molly_miller
March Madness live updates, scores, bracket: Women's NCAA tournament First Four wraps up with Virginia and Southern advancing The final two First Four matchups in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament concluded on Thursday, securing the 64-team field for the upcoming tournament. In the Sacramento 4 region, Southern University and Samford faced off for the No. 16 seed, while Virginia and Arizona State contested for the No. 10 seed. The results of these games determined the final spots in the first-round bracket. Virginia advanced to face No. 7 seed Georgia after a hard-fought 57-55 victory over Arizona State. The Cavaliers overcame a late rally by the Sun Devils, who tied the game at 51-51 on a 3-pointer by Marley Washenitz with 41 seconds remaining. Kymora Johnson answered with a 3-pointer for Virginia, and the Cavaliers held off Arizona State’s attempts to tie the game. Washenitz led Arizona State with 19 points, while Johnson dominated for Virginia with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 steals. Caitlin Weimar added 11 points and 12 rebounds for Virginia. Southern University secured its spot in the tournament with a 65-53 win over Samford. The Jaguars will face No. 1 seed South Carolina on Saturday. Southern took control in the fourth quarter, outscoring Samford 14-2 over the final seven minutes. Jaylia Reed and DeMya Porter each scored 15 points for Southern, with Porter grabbing 12 rebounds. Briana Rivera led Samford with 16 points, though the Bulldogs shot 36% from the field, including 8-of-27 on 3-pointers. Other developments from the First Four included No. 16 Missouri State and No. 11 Nebraska advancing to the 64-team field. Missouri State will face No. 1 seed Texas, while Nebraska will meet No. 6 seed Baylor.#virginia #arizona_state #samford #southern_university #ncaa_womens_basketball_tournament
Miami vs. Tennessee: RedHawks, Volunteers to clash in 1st round of NCAA Tournament The Miami RedHawks advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament after a dominant performance in the First Four, defeating the SMU Mustangs 89-79. The victory propelled Miami to a 32-1 record on the season and set the stage for their next challenge against the sixth-seeded Tennessee Volunteers in Philadelphia. The matchup is scheduled for Friday, with a potential early start time due to the game being the second contest in the session. The first game of the day, Wright State vs. Virginia, will tip off at 1:50 p.m. Fans unable to travel to Philadelphia can watch the RedHawks vs. Volunteers game on TBS. Tickets for Friday’s session are still available, with prices starting around $70. A single ticket grants access to both games held at Dayton’s UD Arena. Miami’s historic First Four performance included a school-record 16 three-pointers, led by Eian Elmer, who shot 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. The RedHawks’ offensive firepower helped secure their place in the tournament. Tennessee, finishing fourth in the SEC—the most represented conference in the tournament—brings a top-heavy scoring attack to the matchup. Three players average double-digit points, with two of them ranking among the top 10 in the SEC in scoring. Ja’Kobi Gillespie leads the Volunteers, averaging 18.0 points per game and shooting 33.2% from three-point range. His 8.0 three-point attempts per game rank second in the league. Despite their strong regular-season finish, Tennessee’s underlying statistics are less impressive, and the team ended the season on an uneven note. The Volunteers will face the winner of the session’s first game—No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State—in the second round on Sunday.#virginia #smu_mustangs #tennessee_volunteers #wright_state #miami_redhawks
Thijs De Ridder filled out brackets overseas. Now he's leading Virginia's March Madness run PHILADELPHIA — Before Virginia men’s basketball was named the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region of the Men’s NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday, Thijs De Ridder never really knew what March Madness was. “Not much,” De Ridder told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday. You can’t necessarily blame him: The Cavaliers’ 6-foot-9, 238-pound forward was playing professionally for Bilbao Basket in the Liga ACB league, the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league, just last season. “When I was 17 and younger, I thought it was another tournament like others. I did some brackets when I was younger, but that was just for fun,” De Ridder said. It’s what makes the 23-year-old freshman from Brasschaat, Belgium excited to play in Virginia’s first-round game against No. 14 seed Wright State. “Every time there was an American guy on my team overseas, they always talked about March Madness,” De Ridder said. “Now that I’m here, it’s such an organization, and it just made me really excited to play here. Hopefully, we can do some great stuff.” De Ridder’s path to Virginia is an interesting one. “The story is, I happened to be in Italy looking at another kid and was meeting with his agent, but not about Thijs. It was about another kid,” Virginia associate head coach Griff Aldrich told USA TODAY Sports. “Thijs came to mind, and it became apparent that he was open, so we said, ‘Hey, we were very interested in him,’ and it snowballed to Thijs.” Aldrich mentioned De Ridder wasn’t playing in Italy at the time he was visiting, but the 6-foot-9 forward matched Virginia’s values while bringing experience and physicality to the court. “He competed at a very high level.#virginia #march_madness #thijs_de_ridder #bilbao_basket #griff_aldrich
Gloucester County RV Accident Attorney Ken Gibson Explains Legal Options for Virginia RV Crash Victims A recreational vehicle accident on Virginia’s rural highways can lead to severe injuries due to the significant size and weight differences between motorhomes and passenger vehicles. Victims of these collisions often face complex legal challenges, particularly under Virginia’s strict contributory negligence standard, which bars compensation if the injured party is found even slightly at fault. Ken Gibson, a Gloucester County RV accident attorney with GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys, outlines the unique risks associated with these incidents and the legal strategies available to those seeking justice. Gibson highlights that RVs, including motorhomes and towable setups, pose distinct dangers on narrow, two-lane roads. These vehicles have longer braking distances, larger blind spots, and a higher center of gravity, increasing the likelihood of rollover accidents. Many operators lack formal training for handling oversized vehicles, and Virginia’s commercial driver’s license requirements may not mandate specialized licensing for all RV configurations. “The handling characteristics of a large motorhome or fifth-wheel setup are fundamentally different from a standard passenger vehicle,” Gibson explains. “Drivers unfamiliar with these differences can create serious risks, especially on roads like Route 17, where visibility and maneuverability are limited.” Under Virginia law, victims must prove that the other party was entirely at fault for the accident. If even a small percentage of fault is attributed to the injured party, they may be barred from recovering compensation.#ken_gibson #gibsonsingleton_virginia_injury_attorneys #route_17 #virginia #rv_accident
Bracketology: No. 1 Seeds Duke, Arizona Face Battles but Have Margin for Error in NCAA Tournament Projection Virginia and Kansas each have significant opportunities on Saturday to improve their NCAA Tournament seeding as the final day of February brings critical matchups with projected No. 1 seeds. The Cavaliers, ranked No. 3 in CBS Sports Bracketology, travel to Durham, N.C., to face Duke, while the Jayhawks, at No. 4, head to Tucson to challenge Arizona. A victory for either team could dramatically elevate their resume metrics and open new possibilities for higher seeds. Virginia, with a 25-3 record (13-2 in the ACC), is thriving under first-year coach Ryan Odom. However, their seeding has been limited by a relatively weak nonconference schedule, which ranks 211th in NET strength. Despite their strong record, the Cavaliers lack marquee wins needed to compete for a No. 2 seed. Beating Duke, a projected No. 1 team, would address this gap and potentially elevate their profile. For Kansas, defeating Arizona on the road could position them to secure a No. 3 or even a No. 2 seed. As the highest-ranked No. 4 seed in Bracketology, a win against a 9.5-point underdog Arizona team would likely boost their standing. The Jayhawks’ success in this matchup could also reshape the tournament landscape, particularly if they secure a strong victory. Duke and Arizona, both holding No. 1 seeds, have room for error in maintaining their top rankings. A loss on Saturday would not immediately jeopardize their status, as both teams have built substantial leads in key metrics used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee. However, Duke faces a challenge from Michigan, which secured an upset win over Illinois on Friday. This victory keeps Michigan in the race for the top seed, and a loss to Virginia could push the Wolverines back into the No. 1 spot.#arizona #duke #ncaa_tournament #virginia #kansas
